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Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Original title: Mujeres al borde de un ataque de "nervios"
  • 19881988
  • RR
  • 1h 28m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
41K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Mujeres al borde de un ataque de "nervios" (1988)
  • Comedy
  • Drama
A television actress encounters a variety of eccentric characters after embarking on a journey to discover why her lover abruptly left her.A television actress encounters a variety of eccentric characters after embarking on a journey to discover why her lover abruptly left her.A television actress encounters a variety of eccentric characters after embarking on a journey to discover why her lover abruptly left her.
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
41K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Pedro Almodóvar
  • Writers
    • Pedro Almodóvar(screenplay)
    • Jean Cocteau(play "La Voix humaine")
  • Stars
    • Carmen Maura
    • Antonio Banderas
    • Julieta Serrano
Top credits
  • Director
    • Pedro Almodóvar
  • Writers
    • Pedro Almodóvar(screenplay)
    • Jean Cocteau(play "La Voix humaine")
  • Stars
    • Carmen Maura
    • Antonio Banderas
    • Julieta Serrano
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 85User reviews
    • 63Critic reviews
    • 85Metascore
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 22 wins & 24 nominations total

    Photos106

    Mujeres al borde de un ataque de "nervios" (1988)
    Mujeres al borde de un ataque de "nervios" (1988)
    Mujeres al borde de un ataque de "nervios" (1988)
    Mujeres al borde de un ataque de "nervios" (1988)
    Mujeres al borde de un ataque de "nervios" (1988)
    Mujeres al borde de un ataque de "nervios" (1988)
    Mujeres al borde de un ataque de "nervios" (1988)
    Pedro Almodóvar in Matador (1986)
    Mujeres al borde de un ataque de "nervios" (1988)
    Laberinto de pasiones (1982)
    Mujeres al borde de un ataque de "nervios" (1988)
    Carmen Maura and Julieta Serrano in Mujeres al borde de un ataque de "nervios" (1988)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Carmen Maura
    Carmen Maura
    • Pepaas Pepa
    Antonio Banderas
    Antonio Banderas
    • Carlosas Carlos
    Julieta Serrano
    Julieta Serrano
    • Lucíaas Lucía
    Rossy de Palma
    Rossy de Palma
    • Marisaas Marisa
    María Barranco
    María Barranco
    • Candelaas Candela
    Kiti Mánver
    Kiti Mánver
    • Paulina Moralesas Paulina Morales
    • (as Kiti Manver)
    Guillermo Montesinos
    Guillermo Montesinos
    • Taxistaas Taxista
    Chus Lampreave
    Chus Lampreave
    • Portera Testiga de Jehováas Portera Testiga de Jehová
    Eduardo Calvo
    Eduardo Calvo
    • Padre de Lucíaas Padre de Lucía
    • (as Yayo Calvo)
    Loles León
    Loles León
    • Secretariaas Secretaria
    Ángel de Andrés López
    Ángel de Andrés López
    • Policía Ias Policía I
    • (as Angel de Andrés-López)
    Fernando Guillén
    Fernando Guillén
    • Ivánas Iván
    Juan Lombardero
    • Germánas Germán
    José Antonio Navarro
    • Policía IIas Policía II
    Ana Leza
    • Anaas Ana
    Ambite
    • Ambiteas Ambite
    Mary González
    • Madre Lucíaas Madre Lucía
    Lupe Barrado
    • Secretaria Paulinaas Secretaria Paulina
    • Director
      • Pedro Almodóvar
    • Writers
      • Pedro Almodóvar(screenplay) (story)
      • Jean Cocteau(play "La Voix humaine") (uncredited)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Pepa's lover, Iván, leaves her and she tries to contact him to find out why he's left. In her search for Iván, she confronts his wife and son, who are as clueless as she is. Meanwhile, Candela, her friend, is afraid the police might be looking for her because of her ex-boyfriend, a muslim terrorist, and his criminal activities. As the plot develops, it is revealed that everyone's lives are more intertwined than they could have ever expected. —Ed Sutton <esutton@mindspring.com>
    • gazpacho
    • f rated
    • 1980s
    • female lawyer
    • vinyl record
    • 62 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Genres
      • Comedy
      • Drama
    • Certificate
      • R
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Pedro Almodóvar and Carmen Maura's personal relationship was seriously damaged during the shooting, which Maura even defined as a "living hell". It took 18 years for them to work again, on Volver (2006).
    • Goofs
      Candela, while giving Pepa's rabbits water, comments to Carlos about how the rabbits love the turnips they're eating (in the English and French subtitles as well as in the original Spanish audio), but the only vegetables in the cage are leeks, and the rabbits aren't eating them.
    • Quotes

      Pepa: Hello. I'm the mother of the notorious Crossroads Killer. When my son comes home after one of his famous crimes, his clothes are just filthy.

      [Pepa holds up a bloody shirt. The police arrive]

      Policía I: Where are the clothes your son wore...

      Policía II: At the time of the murder?

      [Pepa takes a clean shirt out of the dryer]

      Pepa: Right here. Sparkling clean.

      Policía I: No trace of blood.

      Policía II: Or guts.

      Policía I: Unbelievable!

      [Pepa holds up a box of detergent]

      Pepa: Ecce Homo. It's unbelievable.

    • Connections
      Featured in Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen (2012)
    • Soundtracks
      Soy infeliz
      Written by Ventura Romero

      Performed by Lola Beltrán

    User reviews85

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Pre-MeToo
    Before there was the MeToo movement, there was Pedro Almodovar.

    Way back in the dark ages of 1988, Almodovar was making movies about women and the ways in which their lives are shaped by men. It took me forever to get around to watching this film, one of the first to bring Almodovar some fame among American audiences, primarily because it was nominated for the 1988 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It's a hoot, a modern refashioning of the screwball comedies of the 1930s. None of it is meant to be taken very seriously by the audience, yet Almodovar takes his own characters seriously, which makes all the difference between this being a toss off movie to be instantly forgotten and one that resonates because, despite all the goofiness, it's about real people who we come to care about.

    I wouldn't call myself necessarily an Almodovar fan. I've liked some of his movies and disliked others. But I enjoyed this one quite a bit.

    Grade: A
    helpful•7
    1
    • evanston_dad
    • Sep 6, 2019

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 11, 1988 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • Spain
    • Language
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Frauen am Rande des Nervenzusammenbruchs
    • Filming locations
      • Estudios Barajas, Madrid, Spain
    • Production companies
      • Laurenfilm
      • El Deseo
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $700,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $7,251,740
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $13,399
      • Aug 13, 2006
    • Gross worldwide
      • $7,263,129
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 28 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Ultra Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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